Jerusalem’s snowstorm of the century began with a toast. My mother-in-law, Jean, was visiting us, and I had bought a bottle of her favorite local wine and a bouquet of flowers to mark the occasion. As Jean and I partook a second glass of a delicious pinot noir, my wife, Debbie, was hit by a pint-sized rocket. “It’s OK," she said. "The contractions are far ... ahh!” Our unborn daughter's hand had left a deep imprint on Debbie’s belly. In the seconds following that monster contraction Jean moved with all the swiftness of a cheetah. She called for a taxi, packed up Debbie’s hospital … [Read more...]
Search Results for: Gidon
Children’s Future Depends on How We Help Rewrite Their Script
My latest paying gig comes with some choice benefits, the best being I get to work remotely four days out of every five. Once a week, I pop in to the office to touch base, sit in on meetings, and sip some damn fine cardamom-flavored coffee. The rest of the time, I'm allowed free reign. Being able to work from home has enabled me to help my wife with the daily dropping off and picking up at school of our four kids, ages 8 through 3. While I’m happy to be more available to lend a hand around the homestead, raising young children is trench warfare. Calling it a full-time job is like … [Read more...]
PTA Meeting Brings Father Amazon Nightmares, Pepperoni Dreams
I used to be against the death penalty until I sat through my first and only PTA meeting. That was where I was exposed to a nearly fatal dose of superstar parenting. Maybe the electric chair for these walking migraine triggers is a bit harsh. They should at least be quarantined, as a public health measure. This night of the jackals begins with a sharp elbow to my ribs. "Excuse me!" a jittery house frau screeches. She rushes by me in the library where the PTA meeting is being held and grabs a seat next to someone she knows. My daughter's teacher, Rinat, launches into her presentation … [Read more...]
Dreams Need to Stay Alive for Parents as Well as Their Children
My wife approves of my keeping one mistress. She happily walks in on me as I’m cozying up with an Abraham Lincoln biography, a Wall Street Journal op-ed page or the latest edition of Time magazine. If she’s out of town, I’m never alone long. I'll quickly get intimate with Charles Krauthammer, Neil deGrasse Tyson or an elegantly stated case against the anti-fossil fuel argument. But only one at a time: I don’t have the stamina I used to. These late-night visits to the native English language are my after-hours escape and salvation. You see, I’m an English-language copywriter living in … [Read more...]
Helicopter Parent’s Memo About Those Children You Will Be Hosting
Postmark: Jerusalem, Israel; August 2 Dear Sheila, How’s Chi-Town? The girls can’t wait to spend a whole two weeks with you. And I can't wait to receive the hourly updates about all they’ll be seeing and doing during their upcoming adventure. Danielle and I also look forward to our daughters returning to our home in Israel with Chicago accents and attitudes. Jerusalem is such a mad, mad mix of people, languages and backgrounds. Two little girls jabbering about "Da Bears," drinking "pop" (instead of "Coke") and riding ‘The L" will add a bit more spice to the city’s delightful stew of … [Read more...]